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Warning: I followed the 'always say yes to new projects' advice and it backfired hard
About three months ago, my manager asked if I could take the lead on a new client integration project while also handling my normal quarterly reports. Everyone says to say yes to build skills and visibility, so I did. The project scope was a mess from day one, with the client changing core requirements twice in the first week. I was putting in 12-hour days, my regular work started slipping, and I missed a key deadline for the finance team. My manager called me into his office last Tuesday and said, 'You're stretched too thin, and the quality is suffering on both ends.' I had to hand off the integration project completely, which felt like a public failure. Now I'm rebuilding trust on my core duties. Has anyone else found that blindly saying yes actually hurt their reputation more than it helped?
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terry_lewis211d ago
Yeah, because my ability to say no is about as strong as my willpower near free donuts.
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oliver_wilson491d ago
How do you even start fixing that? I used to be the same way, saying yes to everything until I was burnt out. It took me missing a bunch of family stuff to realize I was just making myself miserable for no good reason. Now I check my calendar first and give myself time to think. It's not easy, but it gets easier with practice.
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vera_campbell1d ago
I read a book that called this the "tyranny of yes" and it really stuck with me.
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